My Crazy Upgrade System

Leng Hu’s words always seemed to have thorns, but they held a deeper meaning, often containing a sliver of advice. Yi Tianyun, of course, could tell, so he didn’t find anything wrong with Leng Hu’s behavior.

’When you’re out in the world, people’s hearts can be treacherous, so a bit of caution is only natural. Those who are overly enthusiastic from the start are actually more likely to be trouble.’ Leng Hu and his group were acting normally. They were all seasoned Cultivators; only after earning their recognition would they genuinely help you.

"You know the way?" Yi Tianyun’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected this; he’d assumed they had just charged in blindly.

"We know a little bit, but we aren’t clear on the specifics," Ren Liangchen said with a faint smile. "It’s likely information spread by people who returned from the Netherworld. We just happened to gather some of it; otherwise, we wouldn’t have dared to venture in so recklessly."

Yi Tianyun wasn’t concerned with the details. At least they weren’t being completely reckless.

As they progressed, they ventured deeper and deeper, quickly leaving the other boats far behind. Now, only three teams were left pressing onward. These were the ones truly heading to the Netherworld; the others had only come to gather Spirit Medicine.

"It’s getting harder to row here. It takes a bit more effort," Leng Hu said to Yi Tianyun in a low voice. "Are you holding up? If not, we can slow down."

The first to show concern for Yi Tianyun was, unexpectedly, Leng Hu. He asked if he could keep rowing, apparently mistaking him for having the lowest cultivation level and wanting to look out for him. After all, the aura Yi Tianyun projected was rather faint—an effect of him deliberately suppressing his power—so he appeared quite weak.

The three brothers were all at the fifth or sixth layer of the Spirit Pill Stage. It had to be said that for Loose Cultivators, reaching such a level was quite impressive. Cultivators like them weren’t rare; in fact, they were quite numerous. Not everyone liked to join a sect.

"That’s right, we can go a little slower. There’s no harm in taking our time."

Yang Zhiwen nodded in agreement. In truth, they were all getting tired. Rowing was consuming too much Spiritual Power; each stroke felt like pushing a mountain.

"I’m fine. This isn’t a problem for me," Yi Tianyun said with a smile, feeling no pressure at all. "We can continue at our previous pace. I don’t want to linger here any longer than we have to."

"Alright then. If you have any problems, just say so. We’re partners on the same boat; we have to help each other," Ren Liangchen said.

They assumed Yi Tianyun was just trying to act tough and slowed down slightly anyway. Their overall pace was still decent, just a fraction slower than Liu Long’s group.

Liu Long shot them a mocking look from his boat. "Ren Liangchen, why so slow? Running out of steam? If you’re out of energy, you should scurry on home to mommy’s milk!"

He was still pissed that Ren Liangchen had poached a potential recruit, and since they already had a history of friction, he couldn’t resist taunting him.

"That bastard, I’ll..." Just as Yang Zhiwen was about to retort, Ren Liangchen shook his head, signaling him to ignore Liu Long.

"Pay him no mind. Let’s just keep moving. It’s better for everyone if we don’t start anything here." A cold glint flashed in Ren Liangchen’s eyes. He was obviously furious, but he prioritized the overall situation. It was best not to cause trouble.

Yi Tianyun glanced over. Liu Long seemed to be enjoying the free ride. The ones rowing were all Cultivators he had deceived into working for him.

With more people rowing, their boat was slightly faster.

As they continued on, a flicker in Yi Tianyun’s eyes prompted him to speak up. "Ren, I have a bad feeling about what’s ahead. We should be on high alert."

"Hm? A bad feeling? I don’t sense anything." Ren Liangchen glanced into the distance. Nothing looked different. Other than the difficulty of rowing, everything seemed fine.

Nevertheless, they heeded Yi Tianyun’s warning and slowed down. Clearly, his Commander Value was having an effect, lending his words a degree of credibility.

Liu Long’s boat, however, maintained its speed and continued straight ahead.

Sure enough, moments later, a white shadow suddenly burst from the water and lunged at Liu Long’s boat. Before anyone could react, someone was dragged into the depths. They vanished beneath the surface without even a scream, never to resurface.

"It’s a Netherwater Shark!" Ren Liangchen’s expression turned grim. They all saw what had attacked: a Netherwater Shark, one of the incredibly powerful Demon Beasts native to this area.

Netherwater Shark: A first-layer Spirit Pill Stage Demon Beast capable of resisting the toxins of the Netherwater. Its body carries a lethal poison; mere contact will result in being poisoned. If bitten, the poison will enter the victim’s body. Death is certain if an antidote is not administered within fifteen minutes! Pet Potential: Third Grade. Weakness: Fire of Supreme Strength. Upon being killed, it may drop Antitoxic Medicine, Netherwater Shark Hide, and Netherwater Poison.

The detailed information about the Netherwater Shark was laid bare by Yi Tianyun’s inspection ability. ’This thing really is vicious. The weakest ones are at the first layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, and they only get stronger. Most importantly, they can move freely in the Netherwater. That’s the biggest problem.’

It was simple: the Netherwater Sharks could operate in the water, but they couldn’t.

SPLASH!

Just then, another Netherwater Shark burst from the water. This time, however, it wasn’t aiming for Liu Long’s group, but for theirs! It shot directly toward Yi Tianyun, likely targeting him because it judged his cultivation to be the lowest.

The shark that had taken down the person on Liu Long’s boat was also at the Spirit Pill Stage, and they prioritized killing those with the lowest cultivation.

A glint appeared in Yi Tianyun’s eyes. Just as he was about to strike the Netherwater Shark, a cold light flashed and viciously slammed into the beast, sending it flying and leaving a deep gash on its tough hide.

The one who struck was none other than Leng Hu, who was standing nearby. He tightly gripped a high-grade Soul Artifact, a great axe, and used it to intercept the Netherwater Shark for Yi Tianyun.

"Keep rowing! We need to get out of here, now!" Ren Liangchen yelled. "We’ll only be safe once we’re out of the Netherwater Sharks’ territory!"

Yi Tianyun checked his Netherworld Passage Map. This area was marked as a distinct zone; they would indeed be safe once they passed through it. The problem was that they would be under constant attack from Netherwater Sharks until then, which was going to be a real headache.

Over on the other boat, they were rowing frantically, surging ahead at a much faster pace. Liu Long was shouting furiously, "Faster, faster! What are you saving your energy for? Put your backs into it and row for me!"

At the same time, the Spirit Pill Stage experts on his boat helped fend off the Netherwater Shark attacks. It was difficult, but still manageable.

Everyone was now rowing with all their might, their speed increasing dramatically. It was much faster than their previous leisurely pace; the danger had forced them to unleash their full Potential.

Only Yi Tianyun’s boat was much slower. And what’s more, Yi Tianyun wasn’t even rowing! This left the others dumbfounded. ’Why did he stop rowing at a time like this?’

Of course Yi Tianyun didn’t want to row anymore. The moment he saw the Netherwater Sharks, an idea struck him. ’I’ll tame them as pets! I can just have them pull the boat. Why the hell would I keep rowing?!’